Your daily dose of photovoltaic technology developments and solar news

VLSI Research has awarded Oerlikon Systems a ‘five star rating’ for customer satisfaction in 2009. The five star ratings are handed out by chip equipment users (representing 95% of the world’s semiconductor market) and compiled by VLSI Research as part of their 2009 Customer Satisfaction Report.

In releasing fourth quarter, 2009 financial results, Evergreen Solar warned that its German-based joint venture Sovello could face bankruptcy over the issue of repaying an EU grant, which was deemed to have been wrongly applied for due to the involvement of Q-Cells as a partner that exceeded qualification levels for a small to medium sized firm. Sovello is appealing the EU Commission findings.

In a major effort to boost its position within the solar equipment market, Singulus Technologies is planning a suite of new product introductions in 2010 that will include technologies to lower PV manufacturing costs and boost cell efficiencies for both  both ‘front-end’c-Si production and CIS and CdTe applications. Another import move will be the development of complete integrated turnkey lines for ‘front-end’c-Si production, leveraging technologies and systems from its recent acquisition of Stangl. The  company noted that due to continued pricing pressures on PV manufacturers this was a key driver to focus on such solutions.

Areva, a French company better known for its prominence in the nuclear power industry, has jumped into the solar energy business with the acquisition of U.S.-based Ausra, a large-scale concentrated solar thermal power company. Areva says its strategic objective to be the world leader in concentrated solar power and will further strengthen and diversify its renewables portfolio, which includes biomass, wind, and other assets.

Israeli solar energy developer Arava Power has signed long-term deals with 15 agricultural cooperatives to build midsize photovoltaic installations at an investment of 2 billion shekels ($533 million), according to Reuters. The power plants will total 100MW and will average 6.5MW per field. Total investment is said to be 2 billion shekels ($544 million).

Having designed and developed a pole-mounted solar system, Petra Solar has raised US$40 million in new finance to fund its growth plans. The company said it would expand its customer base, with plans to hire another 30 executive and professional employees immediately and expects to employ 165 people by the end of the year as demand for its product gathers momentum. Craton Equity Partners and Espírito Santo Ventures led the latest round of funding. Previous investors also contributed.

SunPower has launched a new finance program with Key Equipment Finance to support US$50 million in commercial-scale solar systems in the U.S. The program is designed to streamline the purchase process, combining the solar modules and installation costs into a monthly payment scheme. SunPower and local installers in its dealer network will design and build the systems from 50kW to 1MW.

Materials provider, Kuraray Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of Japan-based Kuraray Co has expanded production of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin to meet demand for its branded encapsulant for solar cell modules, ‘TROSIFOL,’ amongst other products. The new production line adds 10,000 tons of capacity at its site in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, taking total capacity to 39,000 tons per annum.

Australian-based materials provider, Dyesol has established a German subsidiary in Bavaria to pursue commercialization of dye solar cell (DSC) technologies. The company said that due to Germany’s leading position in the solar industry it would seek collaboration and partnerships with industrial and government partners to bring DSC products to market.

Climate Change Capital Private Equity, the €200 million fund dedicated to investments in clean technology companies, has led a convertible bond issue in Metallkraft, the Norwegian company that developed a patented process to recycle spent slurry used in cutting solar silicon wafers.